The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-14
The PEACEMAkER.
Description OF the Most Successful Sub
marine Boat Ever Constructed.

| Description of the Most Successful Sub
] marine Boat Ever Constructed.
The American boat Peacenaker has.
however. created the greatest sensation
In the nautical world. Ii Ike most of her
kind, she is cigar-shaped, with Trimmed
ends, and when seen floating on the
surface of the ocean, somewhat re-
sembles capsized yacht. She is thirty
feet long, eight feet beam and seven
feet six inches depth of hold; and has q
shell-plating seven-eighths of an inch
thick, well stifened. so as to withstand
the greatest probable pressure of water.
Her crew consists of helmsman and
an engineer, who obtain admission into
the hold by small manhOle, which is
then closed with closely fitting lid. A
dome projecting from the upper sur
face of the hull is fitted with glass
windows, to enable the helmsman. who
stands with his head in this raised
space. to make good the course when
the vessel is not submerged. These
feeble parts are protected from injury
by kind of crest, which runs fore
and aft. thus giving her the peculiar
appearance to which we have previously
referred. Some sleeves, fashioned from
impermeable material. are fixed behind
and on each side of the dome, so that
the helmsman may readily apply the
torpedoeS at the most OppOrtune mo-
ment by inserting his hands into the
sleeves. Compressed air is stored up
in tubes fixed to her sides; and it is pro-
posed to absorb the carbOnic acid and
all other deleteriOus products of COM
bustiOn by chemical means. She is lit
up by electricity and propelled by
steam-engine of fourteen horsepower,
having its boiler surrounded by an iron
jacket, ike one iron pot inside of an
other, inclosing between it and the
boiler n saturated solution of cauStic
soda, which possesses great heating
power when water-vapOr is passed into
it. The funicular railways of America
avail themselves of the same method,
and thus avoid smoke and dirt. In
stead of permitting toe Steam to escape
into the atmosphere. it is condensed
inside the jacket containing the caus-
tic soda. The latent heat of the
steam is set free by condensa-
ton, and adds itself to the heat
of the dissolution Of caustic soda IN
water. This system may be compared
to boiler in which the caustic soda
replaces the cOmbustible, and the
vapor performs the part of the oxygen
of the air which feeds the furnaces.
When it is wished to get under way.
the boiler is first filled with water
heated to the boiling-Point. and the
soda solution is put inside the jacket
at temperature of about two hundred
and sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The
result of a recent trial trip was very
satisfactory, for she is said to have at
tanned a velocity of eight miles an
hour when we'll submerged, and to be
capable of retsining this rate of travel
for several hours. Her submersion is
effected by filling her Dallast-tanks with
water; and she is raised by working a
rudder which is movable about hOrl-
zontal axis. A pressure-gauge indi-
Gates the depth to which the boat has
and, owing to the position of
the center of gravity, there is no tend
ency to turn turtle The torpedoes
are fastened to her sides. tied each to
the other with cord. An external |
covering of cork renders them buoy |
ant; and they are furnished with |
electromagnetic so that they may
adhere to the bottom of the vessel des-
tined for destruction. The arrange
ment is such that, when let go from
the Peacemaker, by the helnisman in
serting his arms into the before-men-
toned impermeable sleeves, cOntinu-
Gus current circulates.
The results leave little to be desired
so far as they go; but it would be pre-
mature to follow the Americans in their |
extravagant praise until further trials |
have been made under varying cOndi-
tons. Admiral Porter, of the United |
States navy, is firmly of the opinion |
that with six such submarine boats he |
could either drive off or sink any hos
tile fleet bent on attacking New York.
Professor Tuck. the designer of this
named boat. says that he
can construct a full-sized, powerful
submarine steamship which shall navi-
gate the waters between Dover and
Calais without causing any of that NAL
lie n1er which renders the passage OF
the ''silver streak so objectionable to
andsmen. Probably, pleasure-scekerS
Dr. Cooks tourists would prefer to suf-
Ter than to risk evils which the" know
not f-ChanlberS' Journal.
A Monster Stone Dam.